The Value of Free...Priceless!

In recent weeks, I have met several business owners who just cannot (or perhaps more accurately do not want to) comprehend why organisations and individuals should consider giving what they know (and to some extent what they do) away for Free.

I have been exploring and talking for many months about the notion of giving away for Free that which you previously charged (either directly or indirectly) but to many it remains an alien concept.

Giving things away for Free and finding alternative ways to deliver value is not new. However, the rise and rise of the Internet has meant that more and more, there is an expectation that information at least should be free and easily accessible; increasingly, those organisations that embrace openness and transparency will benefit most.

In the soft play industry, we are engaging with suppliers and partners of all descriptions to try and convince them of the potential benefits to their organisation and the market as a whole of opening themselves up. It can however be a difficult process because people are naturally (and quite understandably) protective of the status quo but transparency is increasingly a characteristic of modern markets and it is an unstoppable process.

I recently read this posting http://www.tompeters.com/entries.php?note=010845.php by Rajesh Setty http://www.rajeshsetty.com/ and I thought I would share it with you as he not only succinctly lists some of the reasons for Free as a business proposition but he also starts an interesting discussion in the associated forum.

This is not just a proposition for suppliers with knowledge to share.

Owners of play centres may want to think about what they can do for free that will build exceptional value for the business. In these times more than ever, think value in terms of goodwill, value in terms of relationships, value in terms of people getting familiar with your play centre, value in terms of relationships, value in terms of reputation, value in terms of feedback, value in terms of referral business, value in terms of …? Priceless indeed.

Please read article by Rajesh and think about it, I promise the ideas you will generate are worthy of consideration.